Decentralized Database Disaster Recovery Orchestrator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centralized databases face issues such as single points of failure, dependency on network connectivity, limited data access, and lack of data redundancy, leading to inefficiencies and challenges in disaster recovery testing.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized database system utilizing a blockchain network with a shared ledger for disaster recovery orchestrator functions, enabling incremental configuration change tracking and partial disaster recovery testing to ensure data integrity and reduce testing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a centralized database is used for disaster recovery testing, then data storage and management is simplified, but the system has a single point of failure and lacks data redundancy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedatabase management complexityVSAvoiddisaster recovery reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized database into multiple distributed database nodes across a network. Each node stores portions of the data and can independently operate, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates multiple copies of data across different database nodes and geographic locations. This replication ensures data redundancy and availability even if some nodes fail, directly addressing the reliability concern while using automated synchronization to manage the complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If a centralized database experiences high traffic, then data access control is simplified, but bottlenecks occur due to single location

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata access controlVSAvoiddata access speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monolithic centralized database into multiple distributed nodes that can simultaneously handle data access requests. This parallel processing capability eliminates bottlenecks and improves throughput while maintaining access control through distributed security protocols

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a spatial dimension to data storage by distributing database nodes across multiple geographic locations and network endpoints. This transforms the single-location bottleneck into a multi-dimensional access architecture where requests can be routed to nearest or least-loaded nodes, improving access speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Quantity of substance

If minimal data redundancy is maintained in centralized database, then storage efficiency is improved, but data loss is difficult to retrieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space utilizationVSAvoiddata retrieval capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automated data replication across multiple database nodes with intelligent redundancy management. Data is copied to multiple locations with configurable replication factors, ensuring retrieval capability while using deduplication and compression techniques to optimize storage space utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts redundancy parameters such as replication factor and storage allocation based on data criticality, access patterns, and available resources. This allows the system to optimize the balance between storage efficiency and data retrieval capability for different datasets

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If full disaster recovery testing is performed, then complete system reliability is verified, but testing time and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisaster recovery verificationVSAvoidtesting duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements risk-based disaster recovery testing that performs full testing only for critical systems and components, while using targeted partial testing for less critical areas. This approach verifies essential reliability while significantly reducing testing time and costs through selective scope

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses continuous monitoring and automated baseline establishment to detect configuration changes that trigger targeted retesting. This preliminary detection approach avoids unnecessary full tests by only initiating disaster recovery verification when actual changes occur, reducing overall testing time while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11599431B2Database optimized disaster recovery orchestrator
Publication Date: 2023.03.07 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US11599431B2 patent drawing
  • US11599431B2 patent drawing
  • US11599431B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An example operation may include one or more receiving notifications from one or more monitoring agents, each notification comprising a monitoring agent identifier, one or more configuration changes, and a timestamp corresponding to each configuration change, identifying incremental configuration changes that may require a disaster recovery retest, requesting a partial disaster recovery retest comprising the incremental configuration changes, the partial disaster recovery retest providing test coverage for a subset of a full disaster recovery test plan, and providing a request to a blockchain network to store information for the received notifications to a shared ledger of the blockchain network.